


In the fling I was flung with you.

by pickyourselfupfred



Series: Fred and Ginger forever [38]
Category: Astaire/Rogers RPF, Astaire/Rogers movies
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-20
Updated: 2018-09-20
Packaged: 2019-07-14 18:57:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,077
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16046564
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pickyourselfupfred/pseuds/pickyourselfupfred
Summary: More incidents from Barkleys.





	In the fling I was flung with you.

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Samantha](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Samantha/gifts), [StillAintNoGood](https://archiveofourown.org/users/StillAintNoGood/gifts), [Love_by_dancing](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Love_by_dancing/gifts).



“Oh Fred, please stop! I don’t think I can handle any more.”  
He chuckled, “Aw, come on, I know you’re enjoying it because we do it all the time.”  
“Yeah, but let’s get serious now.”  
“We’ve had a great day so, oh we’ll celebrate.”  
They had indeed had a terrific working day. Somehow this movie seemed to be going from one joy to another. Today had been fabulous for all sorts of reasons.  
They’d been shooting the sequence set to ‘My one and only Highland fling’. It was a spoof of  
everything Scottish and had given them the opportunity of adopting probably the worst Scottish accents ever heard on screen. The fun had started when Fred came down from wardrobe clad in full Highland costume.  
Ginger had erupted in giggles when she caught her first glimpse of her soulmate. Fred, who had realised how odd his appearance was compared to his usual suave self, was quite prepared for all the quips he fully expected her to deliver so grinned and waited.  
“Hey Fred, you should wear your skirt a little longer. Frankly you haven’t got the legs for it.”  
He gave a brief twirl.  
“Oh Fred, I nearly saw your petticoat then.”  
She took his hand, “Do tell me what is worn under the kilt?”  
Fred, with a smile answered with the old Vaudevillian answer.  
“Nothing is worn under the kilt, my dear, everything is in perfect working condition.”  
She doubled up in laughter, “You certainly proved that last night.”  
They were cut short at this point as the bustle began for first camera rehearsal.  
The whole shoot had been wrapped up quickly and very successfully with both of them adding little bits of ‘business’ as filming proceeded.  
Thus the whole morning had been an extremely easy and gratifying experience.  
A small departure from their own affairs had also given them great satisfaction. Walters, their director said they could quit early for the day, he’d shoot some establishing shots and other bits without needing them around. However, he concluded by asking for just one favor.  
“Go on,” said Fred.  
“Well there’s a young man whose been hanging around the studio trying to get a break. He’s a dancer but just starting out. I got to talking with him and he’d confessed he idolised you Fred and Ginger and had spent most of his youth watching your RKO films. Well it’s his great ambition to meet you and ask for your advice. Any chance?”  
Fred smiled at Ginger and their thoughts were the same. Both had been encouraged and helped by the ‘old hands’ when developing their stage careers and would never refuse to help others.  
“Sure” was an immediate answer.  
They had both retreated to Fred’s dressing room where a hesitant knock told them their guest had arrived.  
A shortish young man had bounded in and in a frenzy of handshaking had announced himself as Bob Fosse, dancer and wanabe choreographer.  
They were bowled over by this adorably enthusiastic puppy and had spent a very relaxed hour or so exchanging ideas and advice. He told them that he loved Fred’s use of props in his dancing like the the statuette in ‘Top Hat’ and they all had a great laugh when he told them about his favorite prop that Fred used i.e. a hat. He’d explained this by saying, “Mr Astaire, like you I’m kinda thinning on top and a hat is useful”. Fred had found this charming naivety hilarious and promptly answered, “Well I prefer to call it having a distinguished high forehead but my friends”, nudging Ginger, sometimes call it balding.”  
“Then you wouldn’t mind if I used a hat in some of my routines then?”  
“Nah!”  
Fosse hadn’t outstayed his welcome but when he left them Fred said to Ginger, “I’ve a feeling that young man is going to go far, mark my words.”  
Ginger had agreed and then suggested she too had something on her mind and maybe if they soon got back to her place Fred could help her and offer his advice.  
Now Fred, at Ginger’s request was working with her through the dramatic speech Dinah would give towards the end of the movie when, as coached by Josh, she gives a successful performance in the dramatic role she craved.  
However Fred, being Fred, hadn’t entirely been able to concentrate on the matter in hand and in all honesty neither had Ginger. As she’d worked through the dialogue he had gazed at her with what she called his moonstruck rabbit expression, occasionally sighing deeply, sometimes snickering and often grabbing her for a kiss. It was the sort of thing that broke up tough dance rehearsals but Ginger had been struggling with her approach to this scene and felt that now they had to knuckle down. Fred, sensing her mood, changed tack and immediately spoke with the sort of insight that she knew and trusted.  
“Well Gin, I kinda think I know what the problem is.”  
“I humbly accept your advice, oh wise one.”  
He chortled, “Well I guess the scriptwriters are trying to show that Dinah, for all her ambition, is just not cut out to be the ‘Grande Dame’ of the theater. She’s brilliant at what she does with Josh- light, romantic comedy, but Ethel Barrymore she ain’t.”  
“I see what you’re driving at but where does that take me?”  
“Well baby, don’t underplay the big scene but overplay it for that dramatic effect that doesn’t quite come off.”  
“But doesn’t that negate her triumph and belittle Josh’s coaching?”  
“It’s an in joke by the writers. The film audience will know she won’t be a success unless she continues her career with Josh whom she truly adores but the writers are showing that the red necks out there who have no real appreciation of good acting will think that someone who exaggerates wildly, maybe raises their voice and gives the old heart string tugging routine is a genius.”  
“I think I’m getting it.”  
“You will be getting it later tonight,”he grinned.  
She giggled, “I think it’s bedtime now.”  
As he rose to lead her to the bedroom she spoke again.  
“You know Fred, you give better direction than most directors. Why don’t you give it a go?”  
“There’s only one person I want to direct and if you like I’ll take the lead now.”  
“Oh yes please, show me what to do.”  
“Well it starts with a kiss.”

**Author's Note:**

> Fosse was a great admirer of Fred's work and got to work with him later at MGM.  
> Sorry for delay in posting this episode - health again!


End file.
